One Moment
by Awahili
Summary: One moment can mean the difference between hope and despair, between happiness and sorrow, between life and death.  A 10Rose fic set before Doomsday.  Can be canon.  Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Set sometime between "Idiot's Lantern" and "Fear Her."

I don't own Doctor Who, but I do own a sonic screwdriver.

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><p><em>Y'charra, Umbraxa, solar year 12,013…<em>

Rose suppressed the urge to laugh as the Doctor pulled her through the night; there was nothing funny about their current situation, and she doubted the Doctor would appreciate the amusement that bubbled up inside her as the angry gang of aliens pursued them. He had promised her mother that he would keep her safe, but Rose knew that her definition of the word was very different from her mother's. Jackie Tyler would have her locked away safe in the TARDIS as the Doctor took care of whatever trouble popped up, but Rose knew the safest place in the universe for her was at the Doctor's side.

So she was currently running for her life through the darkened streets of an alien city, letting a 900 year old Time Lord tug and direct her as she blindly followed. In short, Rose was having the time of her life.

"This isn't remotely funny," he chastised lightly as they turned a corner and pressed against the wall in an attempt to hide and let Rose catch her breath. She could tell by his tone that he wasn't really upset, but she knew by the look in his eyes he was worried for her. Their plans almost always went awry, and more often than not they ended up narrowly escaping death or capture. And, despite her many insistences to the contrary, she knew the Doctor blamed himself for dragging her into the thick of things.

"Sorry," she told him, not feeling remotely repentant. "Something always comes up, though, doesn't it?" His eyes darkened with an unidentifiable emotion, and she hid a shudder at the intensity of his gaze. But just as quickly it was gone, replaced by a light, teasing glimmer.

"You know, my life was a little less exciting before you. I think it's _your_ fault." She slapped his shoulder lightly, opening her mouth for a witty retort. But a crash from the alley ahead snapped them back into focus, and the Doctor seized her hand once again. "Just an animal; they're still behind us," he announced, pulling her down the alley. "Don't worry, the TARDIS is only a few more turns away." Rose could feel the small niggle of comfort that she'd come to associate with the TARDIS, and she knew he was right. A few more corners and they would be home free. Heavy footfalls echoed off the buildings, but Rose felt nothing but elation as they rounded one more turn.

"Wait!" a rough voice called out to them, but neither of them even turned their heads. They were so close to the final corner, close to freedom and the relief that came with knowing they'd escaped again. They couldn't hear anything but the sound of their hearts beating wildly and the rush of air around them. The Doctor turned the final corner first and rejoiced at the sight of his beloved ship waiting faithfully. Rose stumbled next to him and he slowed his pace a fraction to allow her to catch up with his stride. He glanced sidelong and smiled at the grin spread across her face; she could see it too. She stumbled again, letting out a soft whimper, and he turned his head to really look at her.

She wasn't grinning, he realized, but grimacing. The sleeve and left side of her light blue blouse were dark and moist now, and the Doctor's hearts stopped for a fraction of a second as he realized what had happened. The Umbraxaal had fired on them, had _hit_ Rose, and he hadn't even noticed in his excitement to get home. Rose's legs gave out and the Doctor almost stopped to assess the damage. But their pursuers rounded the corner at that moment, and the Doctor knew their only salvation lay within the TARDIS. Ignoring her cry of pain, he scooped Rose up into his arms and carried her to the TARDIS. Fumbling with her weight against one side, he quickly unlocked the door and tumbled inside before slamming the door behind them. He glared at the door for a brief second, as if daring their attackers to break the laws of the universe and follow them in.

"Doctor?" Rose's soft voice pulled his attention back to her, and he quickly made his way to the room that served as an Infirmary.

_Too much blood_, he thought as he carefully laid her down on the bed. He smoothed her sweat-soaked hair from her face, frowning as his hands left traces of her own blood on her forehead. He darted around frantically, grabbing bandages, soap, and sponges from every cupboard he opened. Finally, he returned to her side and forced her to look at him.

"I have to remove the shirt , Rose. Stay focused now!" The urgency in his voice stopped her eyes from glazing over, and he made quick work of the blood-soaked cloth. The round had passed clean through the left side of her chest, and his mind quickly supplied the list of tissue that had been damaged. He rolled her over and pressed a wad of sponges to the entrance wound, hoping to stem the flow.

"Too much blood," he whispered his earlier thought, and replaced the soaked sponges with clean ones.

"Doctor?" her voice was weaker, and his vision blurred as tears filled his eyes.

"No, you're gonna be fine, Rose. I'll fix you up, I promise." A small smile graced her lips as her eyes closed over tears of her own.

"I know."

"Rose! Open your eyes, Rose!" he cried, forcing the tears away in order to concentrate on her. "Rose Tyler, open your eyes!" The command in his voice got through to her, and her eyelids fluttered open. "Keep them open, Rose. Focus on my face. That's it." He switched out clean sponges again, letting his other hand press more into the hole on her chest.

"I feel funny," she said quietly, "like I'm floating. Is the gravity off?"

"No," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was answering her question or fighting off the implication of her words. "You have to hang on, Rose. Once I've stopped the blood loss I'll get you patched up." He silently cursed himself for not having the foresight to stock some blood for her. He had never let himself think about Rose being critically injured before, and now that denial would kill her.

"I can't keep my eyes open," she admitted, letting her head loll to one side. His left hand moved from its position over her wound to cup her face and pull it back to look at him.

"Rose, look at me. Come on!" Her eyes connected with his, and he despaired at the defeat in them. "No, don't give up. You'll be okay, Rose. Just hold on for me, please!"

"I can't," she answered as her beautiful eyes filled with tears. "I'm scared." The Doctor froze at her words, feeling his hearts seize within in his chest. In her two years of traveling with him they had faced down Daleks and Cybermen and Slitheen. She had single-handedly stood up to creatures that would terrify seasoned soldiers and had, on more than one occasion, saved his life. But she had never, not _once_, uttered those two little words to him. Rose Tyler never got scared; it was an absolute law in his universe.

But now he could see the terror in her eyes as she forced her gaze to his, and he felt his world tilt. He continued holding pressure against her wounds, but when another handful came away soaked in red he felt the hopelessness wash over him.

_Everything dies._

His own words came back to haunt him as he watched the life slowly drain from her fragile, beautiful body. Clutching more sponges to the weeping hole in her chest, he pitched his voice low and desperate.

"I just…I need you to hold on, Rose." His voice cracked with emotion as he hovered over her beautiful face. "I need you to just…" he dropped his forehead to hers, letting out a shaky breath. "I need you." A feather-light touch on his back startled him, but he stayed put when he realized it was Rose's hand ghosting lightly over his jacket. Her touch was weak, and he knew it was probably agonizing for her, but he couldn't force himself to tell her to stop. Rose was dying, and these were the last moments they would ever have together.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she whispered, holding back a moan of pain. "I guess forever came sooner than I thought."

"No, Rose," her gentle defeat rekindled him once again, and he lurched back into action with shaky hands. Clean sponges replaced old ones, and this time he left them there as he wrapped a large bandage tightly around her body. Her body was still warm to his cooler skin, but he could tell her core temperature was dangerously low.

"Shh," her hand moved his side to his face, and he dipped down to let her touch his skin. "My Doctor," she forced a smile onto her face even as another wave of pain hit her. "Have a fantastic life."

The moment between life and death was so fleeting the Doctor's mind didn't really process it. But as Rose's limp hand fell away from his face and her muscles slackened forever, he fell to his knees. An anguished sound escaped from his throat somewhere between a sob and a scream, and he grabbed the edge of the table to keep from falling over.

"No." It was a whisper at first, a delicate cry to the universe. In his mind, he felt the TARDIS give a shudder of sorrow as Rose was ripped from their consciousness, and the Doctor's keening moan became a wail. His face became sodden with tears as he bowed his head at her bedside, sobbing in misery as Rose's soul slipped away.

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><p>Don't fret loves, there's more on the way! But in the meantime...what did ya think?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hooray, progress! Of sorts. If everyone's amenable, I'll be updating daily. Unless, of course, that's too often. You know, whatever. Lemme know. :)

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><p><em><strong>Rose is gone<strong>_.

The TARDIS' words became a mantra in his head, a slow, anguishing intonation that filled his entire being.

_Rose is gone. Rose is gone. Rose is gone._

For several moments he ceased to be, existing only in his grief as utter despair surrounded him. Then, from within, he felt a fire ignite from the ashes and he rose to his feet. His brown eyes that had at once been alight with a teasing mischief for his beloved companion were now dark and penetrating.

He had been known by a plethora of monikers over the years – some he liked and some he even deserved. But none seemed more apt at that moment than the one bestowed upon him by the Draconians long ago, the one used in fear at his arrival, the one that had been forever immortalized in Dalek history, the one that had both angered and inspired him.

_The Oncoming Storm_

With a deathly calm he stood and shed his longcoat, then his suit jacket. He could feel the TARDIS in his mind pleading with him to stop, but there was only one being in the universe that could stay his hand now, and she had been taken from him. With slow, deliberate movements he opened the TARDIS door, feeling her resist him ever so slightly. But while she might be powerful enough to stop any unwanted intruders, or keep his companions from stepping out into nothingness, she was not strong enough to impede him for more than a microsecond.

The Umbraxaal waited out in the alleyway with their weapons trained on the strange blue box. Blood on the ground alerted them to the fact that they had indeed hit one of the travelers, though which one had yet to be determined. The captain – a large, grayish, hulk of a brute – barked out orders to his team with a military precision.

When the door opened, eight gun barrels snapped to aim on the lone figure standing there completely unarmed. The leader smirked triumphantly at the bloodstained clothing and stepped forward to capture the alien. Three steps put him in arm's reach, and it was the last mistake he made. Quicker than lightning, the lean figure lashed out and connected with a solid strike to the sensitive point where the neck met the torso. One strike was all it took, and the captain's heart stopped dead. He crumpled to the ground lifelessly as his team watched, and when the alien looked up all eight recoiled instantly.

"His eyes," one mumbled, staring into the dark abyss. Silently, the Doctor knelt down and withdrew the ceremonial sword from the captain's sheath. They stared at the strange man for a moment, as if sizing him up. Then, as one, the eight Umbraxaal laid their weapons at their feet and drew their own swords.

"Your code requires you fight fair," the Doctor noted with disdain, his tone flat and low. "Interesting." He looked on them with cold eyes, inspecting them like specimens in a lab. "So which of you fired upon my Rose?" None answered as he surveyed them, shaking with barely contained rage. Finally, a young recruit lifted his massive chin.

"It was intended as a warning shot," he explained, and something in the back of the Doctor's mind praised the youth for holding back a nervous stammer. But the part that was at the fore was intent on only one thing, and he lurched forward in a move that was quicker than their eyes could follow.

Green blood spilled, and the recruit was dead before he hit the ground. There was a moment of shock before the other seven sprang into action, but the Doctor had a single-minded determination that outmatched even their best fighters. Spinning and whirling around, he let loose with several thrusts and slashes, disemboweling one and maiming another. Swords clashed but not for long as the Doctor deftly moved around the alley.

Seventy seconds. Seventy seconds was all it took for nine Umbraxaal to lay dead at his feet. He dropped the sword and hit his knees, letting all the anger and sorrow wash over him like a tidal wave. They had killed his Rose, and he had killed them. A throbbing on his right arm suggested at least one of them had gotten a good swipe in before he'd dispatched them, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Slowly he crawled back to the TARDIS, leaning against the closed door once inside. His clothes were drenched in red and green blood, mixing into a brownish, sickly stain that coated his soul. Deep within the walls of his home, Rose lay lifeless and cold. No amount of begging or anger or revenge would bring her back, and she would have been horrified at his actions. Regret settled over him like a cold, wet blanket, and he realized that remorse would be his constant companion from that day forward.


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed, though he couldn't be sure how long he sat there staring into nothingness. Finally, one word passed through his head, and it made his hearts hurt worse than before.

_Jackie_.

Rose's mother would have to be told her daughter was never coming home. The Doctor would have to go to the Powell Estate, look Jackie Tyler in the eye, and break his promise to her. _But first_, he thought as he pushed himself to his feet, _there's a stop I have to make._

He pushed buttons and fiddled with levers almost robotically, and the TARDIS shuddered to life. The ride was bumpy, but the Doctor didn't care as he gripped the console firmly. After a few seconds the TARDIS ground to a halt, and the Doctor opened the door.

He stepped out onto the lush green grass, looking up at the deep blue sky with a melancholic smile. His Time Lord senses told him it was well past the time when he'd have to worry about inhabitants – most of the natives had been wiped out by a plague by now, and the remainder had taken to the stars to avoid the same fate. He walked a while over the hillside, bracing himself against a brisk ocean breeze. The cliff side was just where he'd remembered it, and he silently thanked the TARDIS for landing exactly where he'd wanted to.

At the crest of the hill he fell to his knees, watching the first of two suns sink below the horizon. He had about forty minutes before the second would be gone and the world would be cast into pitch blackness. He took only a few seconds to calm his racing hearts before taking out a tool from the depth of his pants' pocket.

For twenty minutes he carved away at the soft ground until he was satisfied with the results. Wordlessly he re-entered the TARDIS and moved to the room that held Rose's body. The sight of the bed covered in blood – in _her_ blood – make him sick to his stomach. Her face was pale from the blood loss, and her normally fiery skin was cool even to his touch. Her eyes had slipped closed somehow, and the Doctor found himself grateful for the small miracle. If he'd had to shut those beautiful eyes for good, he would have lost it right there. Instead, he forced himself to shove all emotion behind a wall in his mind as he scooped her limp form into his arms.

He laid her next to the grave he'd dug, wiping a few tears from his face as he checked the time. There were almost ten minutes left until sundown, and he quickly dashed back into the TARDIS to grab a soft, cotton sheet and a small scrap of metal. Reverently, he wrapped her body in the material, smiling in the knowledge that even here, on this distant, alien planet, Rose would have a part of her home world with her.

That small part of his mind that had protested earlier was back, demanding that he return her to her mother. _She should be buried on Earth_, it told him. But he shoved it away forcibly, concentrating instead on the memories of his vibrant, lovely companion. She had been so excited at each and every stop, awed by the beauty of the planets and amazed by the people she'd met. She'd stood fearless in the face of danger and inspired him to be a better person. Rose wouldn't have wanted a boring, earth burial. She would have wanted to be out here, among the stars that had captured her heart.

With only mild difficulty, he managed to lower her body into the ground. He couldn't see her face for the shroud, but he had long ago memorized every line and contour. In his mind he could see the smile that always split her face, and the adorable expression she sported whenever she was excited or eager. The simple wonder on her face always made him feel better, like his purpose had been restored once again.

But he would never again see her face alight with laughter, or have her look at him in that way that made his blood run warm. He would never hear her voice calling his name, or feel the elation that came with knowing her trust in him was absolute.

_But I've failed. Rose is gone._

He wept at her graveside as he slowly shoveled dirt over the body. After several painstaking moments the task was finished and the second sun was disappearing over the ocean. The water sparkled in purples and reds, and the Doctor sat on his haunches next to the freshly turned earth. His throat was raw from crying, and his eyes burned as he wiped the last few tears from his face.

He grabbed the spare piece of metal and used the sonic screwdriver to carefully engrave it. When he was finished, he held it at arm's length and inspected his work.

_Rose Tyler_

_Champion, Protector, Friend_

Those three words were so apt and yet so inadequate to describe everything she'd been. She had come into his life just when he'd needed her most, when he'd been ready to give in and join his people forever. But she'd given him purpose again – given him a reason to keep going – and he knew that her steadfast determination and attitude would remain with him forever, pushing him to earn every day the friendship and devotion she'd shown him.

"I told you I'd bring to Barcelona," he whispered to the breeze. "You…you would have loved it." His voice broke and he sobbed for the moments that should have been, for words that should have been said. When he regained control again, he continued. "It's a binary system, you see, and the sunsets here are spectacular." He lifted his head and closed his eyes as the twilight settled over the land.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he uttered the words like a prayer, imploring her forgiveness. "This wasn't supposed to happen, I –" His throat closed over his words and he swallowed a few times to clear it. "There were so many more adventures, so much more to see." A pause, then, as a few tears streamed down his face and fell onto her grave.

"I'm leaving for Earth now," he told her. "I have to break the news to your mum. Gah," he pressed his fingers into his eyes to stem the flow, "she's gonna hate me. I promised her Rose. I promised her I'd always keep you safe. And I failed."

Another breeze, warmer than the last, blew around him and he stood. His eyes adjusted easily to the dimming light, and he swallowed thickly against the pain in his throat.

"I'll never forget you, Rose. You were the most wonderful, brilliant, beautiful companion I could have asked for. I never meant for it to end like this – I never wanted it to end at all. You always said forever and I guess somewhere along the way I'd started to believe you. But you _will_ be with me forever, Rose. In here." He laid his hand over the center of his chest, letting the last of his tears splash onto the ground. "Goodbye." He turned and walked back to the TARDIS without looking back, afraid if he did he would be bound to this planet for eternity.

The TARDIS shuddered in protest as he tried to leave, as if a vital component was missing. The Doctor just chuckled humorlessly and flipped a switch, grasping the rail tightly as his ship slipped away from Barcelona.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all so much for the reviews! This is my first DW fic, but hopefully not my last...

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><p><em>London, England, Earth, 10,007 years prior…<em>

Jackie Tyler hummed off-key as she folded her laundry in the living room. Things were much quieter around the house while Rose was out gallivanting with the Doctor, and Jackie couldn't help but look up as if the heavens themselves could give her some clue to where she was. She worried about her young girl traveling through time and space with an alien, even if he did look human. But, she admitted reluctantly, if anyone would keep her Rose safe it would be him.

Lightning lit up the sky for a brief moment, then the house shook with the fury of the storm raging outside. The house lights flickered once, then died, and Jackie let out an exasperated moan as she fished candles from the kitchen.

"Just my luck," she grumbled. "Who knows who long it'll take them to get it back on." She left one in the kitchen just in case and took the other two out to the sitting room. She finished her clothes by candlelight, listening to the rush of rain hitting the pavement outside.

A sharp knock startled her, and she lifted a lit candle gingerly as she shuffled her way to the door. The hallway was dark so she couldn't see who it was, but something in the urgency of the knock had her fumbling with the lock. When she opened it, she wasn't prepared for the sight that met her eyes.

The Doctor stood there soaking wet, his thin dress shirt clinging to his shivering frame. His hair fell limply around his face, and Jackie could see shadows on his face that weren't from the flickering candlelight. He was leaning against the frame, heavy and dejected, with a look in his eyes that made Jackie's heart stop cold.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he choked, his tears mixing with the remnants of rain on his face. Jackie stumbled back into the wall, unable to believe what his tone and his solitary presence told her. He made no move to enter, not knowing if he was welcome or not, and he didn't budge as Jackie regained her footing. Her eyes moved from his face to his clothes, and she heaved a dry sob at the sight of the brownish-red blood that stained his shirt. Her hands trembled and molten wax from the candle dripped onto her skin, causing her to cry out in physical pain.

The Doctor took an involuntary step forward in an automatic reaction to help, but he checked himself quickly. Her daughter was dead because of him, and he would willingly accept whatever punishment Jackie Tyler chose to mete out. Jackie deposited the candle onto the bookshelf quickly and turned back to the man at the door, the man who had promised to bring her daughter home safely, the man who had lied.

Another sob left her lips, this time accompanied with tears, and she collapsed against the wall as he took another step in and shut the door. He made no other move toward her as he watched the realization creep across her face, as Jackie Tyler's world came crashing down around her.

_Rose isn't coming home_. It was the only thing flitting through her mind as her trembling hands moved to her mouth in an effort to hold back the torrent of emotion that was trying to spill from her. _My sweet, little Rose is gone_.

Her sobs became more pronounced now and, welcome or not, the Doctor could not stand there and watch her despair. In two long strides he was there, and his arms came around her to hold her up against the onslaught of grief that threatened to overtake her. He was freezing and soaking wet, but Jackie didn't care as she clung to him and wept. He was crying, too, she could feel his chest heaving with effort, and not for the first time she wondered at the depth of this man's feelings for her daughter.

When her own sobs subsided a bit, she could hear him murmuring something against her hair. His eyes were squeezed shut and she pulled her head away just a little to hear him better.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." Over and over again he begged for forgiveness and her arms moved from clutching at his waist to cradling his head against her shoulder in a heartbeat. He continued his quiet supplication against the soft fabric of her shirt, and any thoughts she may have had of anger or resentment toward this man quickly faded away at the obvious devastation in his voice. He had loved Rose, Jackie was certain of it now. He had been under no obligation to return and tell her in person, but knowing the Doctor and the type of man he was, Jackie knew he could do nothing else.

He pulled away from her suddenly and turned his back on her, but she could see his shoulders tight with barely maintained control. A surreal calm settled over Jackie; she knew the life her daughter had chosen was dangerous – the Doctor himself had told them so in the beginning. It didn't make the loss of her Rose any easier to bear, but she knew in her heart she could no more resent the Doctor for Rose's fate than she could resent herself for letting her go.

"You're soaked to the bone," she crooned with a disapproving cluck of her tongue, and he turned toward her. "Change of direction," she ordered sharply, "out of those clothes." The incredulous stare he gave her almost made her forget what had brought him to her door in the first place. She pushed him toward the spare room he'd occupied one unforgettable Christmas, and in his stupor he went without a fuss.

"I'll be right back," she told him, leaving him standing in the middle of the room in shock. It was almost just as they'd left it last Christmas, though the door and wall had been fixed. He walked around slowly, taking in every detail of this small room in the Tyler household. This would be the last time he would ever lay eyes on it, the last chance he had to hold on to a piece of Rose.

Heedless of the state of his dress, he sank down onto the bed heavily. A wave of feeling rose up within him, and he closed his eyes against the onslaught. Immediately, images of devastation, heartbreak, and desolation assaulted his mind. His temporal senses were going haywire, like there was a short in the circuit somewhere. Stretching out his mind, he envisioned the time web and flitted through flashes of the future. Something wasn't right, like a cog in the machine had gone missing and now nothing was turning properly. His eyes snapped open and he heaved a sob. _Rose_, he thought. She was supposed to be by his side, saving the universe and brightening his life. Instead, it seemed like the world was doomed to a horrific existence without her presence.

_It's my fault_, he clenched his jaw and hung his head. _Something's coming, Rose isn't here to help. and it's all my fault. _His eyes found the still-wet stains of her blood on his shirt, and with a violent cry he ripped it from his body. He clutched it in his hands like a final lifeline to Rose, to sanity.

Jackie busied herself with fetching towels and fresh clothes for him, and when she returned to the room he was sitting bare-chested on the bed clutching the sopping remnants of his shirt. Against the clean skin of his arms she could see the reddish staining on his hands, and her throat closed over her next words as she realized he'd fought hard to save Rose's life. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back tears as she stepped into the room fully.

"Here's a fresh set of clothes," she said softly, and he turned toward her. "Good heavens!" she exclaimed, taking in the sight of the large gash on his right arm. "What happened there?" The blood had congealed in the wound, leaving a thick, dark red scab over the three inch cut. The Doctor looked down at his arm in surprise, as if he'd just noticed it himself.

"Not sure," he said, and Jackie knew he was lying.

"Well here," she laid the spare clothes she'd bought specifically for him over the bed. She had conceded some time ago that he was going to be a part of Rose's life, and had picked up a few things for him on a whim that last time she had gone shopping. "You'll have to go without alans I'm afraid; I just don't keep men's knickers about." She sighed when he gave no indication of moving, and she moved around to face him fully. "You'll catch your death of cold in those pants, Doctor." Still he didn't move, his eyes unfocused and downcast to his hands. She knelt down and put her hands on his, removing the dripping shirt from his grasp. She started at the chill she felt in his skin, but then she remembered something Rose had said about his temperature being a lot lower. Hopefully it wasn't _too_ low, but Jackie didn't dare bring it up. Instead, she tried to make eye contact with him, tried to get an idea of what was running through is head.

"Doctor?" She squeezed his hands and he finally looked up at her. He'd been trying to regain some composure, she was sure, but when their eyes locked she gasped at the depth of darkness that met her. Just as quickly it was gone, but Jackie had seen enough to know that the Doctor was now a very dangerous man.

"Thank you, Jackie," the words were hollow, but he was responding at least so she patted his hands and stood.

"Change and warm up," she ordered. "I'll make some tea." She left him quickly, feeling her heart rate returning to normal after the shock of seeing so much pain and anger in his gaze. And deep down she knew, without a doubt, that whatever had killed Rose was no longer a threat to the universe.

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><p>Next up...the talk, a lot of angst, and just a little bit of hope...<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

When the Doctor joined her in the kitchen, Jackie handed him a mug wordlessly. The heaviness that had settled over both of them seemed oppressive, but neither had any more tears to cry at that moment. Instead, they sat in the soft candlelight drinking their tea in silence, trying in vain to think of anything to keep their minds off of Rose. Jackie was the first to break the silence, and she took a shaky breath before she spoke.

"What happened?" His eyes slipped close at her question, and he gathered every ounce of self-control he possessed, erecting a quick barrier between his mind and his emotions. It was a handy Time Lord trick in the event of a mind probe or telepathic scan, but it came in dead useful for keeping desolation from crashing down on him.

"We were on Umbraxa, about ten thousand years in the future," he started, forcing his gaze to the table to keep his emotions in check. He spoke monotonically, as if he were recalling a boring historical fact rather than the cataclysmic event that had wrenched his world apart. "We had just stopped to eat, you know? I didn't know what was going on, or that we had dropped into the middle of a revolution. By the time I realized what was going on, she had made up her mind to break into the prison and free a group of children scheduled for execution."

"Who would execute children?" Jackie screeched, and the Doctor gave a humorless smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"That's was she said," he answered, careful not to say her name. If he heard it aloud, he was sure he would lose any shred of control he'd managed to regain. Something flashed in his eyes as he remembered the tale, but he shook it off and continued. "Anyway, as most of our stories often go, we ended up running for our lives back to the TARDIS before the guards caught up with us. Except…" his throat burned once more with tears, but he forced himself to finish. "One of them got a shot off before we reached the doors. I…I _tried_. But there was so much…too much blood." Jackie felt tears of her own reforming, and she reached out a hand to lie on the Doctor's.

Like a flash he was out of his chair, toppling it to the ground with the force of his movement.

"No!" he screamed, recoiling from her. "I don't deserve your pity!" All of his anger exploded inward and he clenched his hair tightly, hoping the pain would anchor him until he was alone. "Your daughter is dead _because of me! _I don't even deserve to live."

"Rubbish," Jackie answered quietly, and he paused in his raving to look at her oddly. She lifted her chin in the defiant, Tyler-esque way the Doctor had come to know and love. "Those aliens killed my Rose," she told him, startled once more at the sheer power that one name had over the man before her. He crumpled against the counter, sliding down until he was pressed against the doors. He wrapped his arms around his legs and laid his head on his knees, shaking with effort as he tried to stave off the madness. But Jackie – sweet, fearless, spirited Jackie – ignored the warning in her mind that told her to get as far from him as possible and moved to his side without hesitation.

"You have been nothing but the best kind of friend to Rose, and she wouldn't want to see you like this." The melancholy was back, and for a moment Jackie was reminded of the dark, angry man that had first taken Rose on her incredible journey. But he had changed, and Jackie liked to think Rose had something to do with it. "I made my peace with her decision a while ago; I don't like it, but she's old enough to make up her own mind. And seeing all the good she did, hearing over the phone how happy she was out there," she gestured vaguely above them, "I knew that was all because of you." He lifted his head then, and the darkness that was threatening to consume him abated a little.

"But she's gone," he whispered.

"Yes she is, but there are still people out there who need you. You travel through space and time, you save billions of lives, and Rose knew that. She would want you to keep helping people. If you give up now, she'll have died for nothing." Something shifted in his eyes, and Jackie felt an uneasy twinge in the pit of her stomach. She knew that look – she'd seen it on a rebellious teenager's face whenever she'd strictly forbidden something. Whatever was running through his head was dangerous and probably prohibited, and Jackie stood up slowly.

"You're right," the Doctor rose to his feet gracefully, and for the first time Jackie saw the alien he hid beneath the human appearance. The serenity that settled over him was terrifying, and she took a step back. "I can travel in space _and_ time." And suddenly, completely unbidden, Jackie's mind leapt back to the beginning of all this nonsense to a conversation she'd had with Rose.

"_I don't understand, sweetheart," Jackie was saying. "Why can't you just pop back and rearrange history to suit you?"_

"_Because, Mum," Rose answered with exasperation, "we can't interfere in established events. Strictly forbidden, with horrible consequences." There was something in her voice, something that told Jackie her daughter knew more about the subject than she was letting on._

"_Well then, what's the use of having a time machine at all?"_

"_Oi, I gotta go, Mum. Love you!" Jackie heard the sound of the TARDIS whirring to life in the background._

"_Wait, where are you going?" She so rarely heard from her daughter these days, and every day it seemed Rose was becoming someone else. Suddenly another voice came over the line, though from a distance as if he was shouting from across the room._

"_Raxicoricofallipatorius!" the Doctor rattled off quickly before the line went dead. Jackie stared incredulously at the receiver for a few seconds before slamming it back down. Sometimes she really hated that man._

The Doctor slipped past her, striding purposefully toward the front door. Jackie caught up with him and gripped his sleeve imploringly.

"You can't go back and change it," she warned him. "Isn't that against the rules or something?"

"I don't care," he said flatly.

"But Rose said –" He whirled on her with a fury in his eyes she'd never seen before.

"_Rose is dead!_ And I can't believe that _this_ world, one without her, is what is meant to be. I will risk everything – reapers, collapsing universes, the whole lot – if it means I can save her." He pulled his arm from her grasp and bolted out the door. Jackie followed him down the stairs, but when he darted into the downpour she skidded to a halt. His face was set in grim determination, and at that moment Jackie realized just how much this man loved her daughter.

"Doctor!" she called, and something in her voice brought him to a halt. He turned toward her, his eyes challenging her to try and stop him. After only a second's hesitation, Jackie sprinted out into the rain to meet him. Her arms went around his neck as she crashed into his chest, and his arms came around her automatically.

"Jackie, what –" The shock in his voice was comical, but Jackie ignored it as she pulled back and ran a hand down his face.

"My daughter is a lucky girl to have you," she told him. "Good luck," she whispered, raising up on her toes to kiss his cheek. He grasped her hand with his own, pulling it down to rest between them. He gave her one last resolute stare before dropping her hand and dashing off into the darkness. Jackie stood there in the rain until she heard the telltale sound of the TARDIS vanishing, then slowly walked back inside.

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><p>So a plan, yeah? Here goes nothing...<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is twice as long as any of the others. Consider it the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Lots of love to everyone who read and reviewed, and some love as well to those who didn't. Thanks for sticking around.

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><p>Long ago, the Lords of Time had created them to be watchdogs, guardians of the sacred Web of Time. Used as tools, they would go where directed and siphon off excess energy created by distorted anomalies or small temporal miscalculations. In the event of a grave error, these creatures also acted as a warning system, an alert to let the Lords know something was wrong and needed to be fixed.<p>

But the Lords were here no longer, and the creatures grew hungry. After finding a way to escape the home that had become their prison, they soared throughout the Web searching for weak points to enter material space once more. Unfortunately, the Web of Time was as strong as it was flexible, and no holes were to be found.

But one Lord had survived, remarkably with little memory of the creatures that had once been at his people's call. And the creatures grew hungrier still, lurking about the vortex as the Lord flitted about time and space. Though he was careful, there were moments when the Web weakened and a few of the creatures slipped through to feast. Only careful realignment of the webbing banished the creatures back to the vortex, but still they searched for an escape.

_Hungry. We are so very hungry._

A massive head lifted, crying out for its brethren. A point had been found and it was only a matter of time before it would be weak enough to break through. It had, at one time, been among the strongest connections in the Web, but it was slowly unraveling. More points would follow, the creature noted, following the webbing through time. One event changed, one life ended and utter chaos ensues.

[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O[]O

_I can see everything…all that is…all that was…all that ever could be…_

The Doctor's hands were entrenched in his new pockets as he dashed back to the TARDIS. Now focused on a singular goal, his mind was allowed to flit about without thoughts of Rose's death crushing him. Something was coming, something in the back of his head kept nagging at him until he couldn't stand it any longer.

"What!" he clenched his ears to hold in the pain, lifting his head to the sky. "What is it?" And just like that it came crashing down on him. Images so fast even his mind couldn't catch up as he shut his eyes against the onslaught.

_Daleks, Cybermen, Torchwood, Pete Tyler, Rose's smile, a lever, a wall, the Void, a tear, a cry, a flash of light._

_Anger, death, destruction. A war was coming, Daleks exterminating every living organism in sight, Cybermen controlling huge populations for armies against the Daleks. The end of the human race._

"Oh…" he fell to his knees in the soaking street, not caring that he was soaking his newest clothes through. Pain exploded through his head, and he was sure a neural implosion was imminent. Something was very wrong, because he knew for a fact the human race didn't end in 2007. He'd been to New Earth, seen the human race thriving in the stars. Something had happened to throw everything off, and in his hearts he knew exactly what it was. As he tried to calm his mind enough to sense the Web of Time, he hid a tear in the falling rain.

_Hungry._

His eyes snapped open as he gasped sharply. He had encountered the creatures so rarely before, but he knew enough to fear them. He had, at one time, let them take his energy and pull him into the Web in an effort to stave them off a bit longer. Sometime before the second death of Pete Tyler, the Doctor had warned Rose of the consequences of messing with the time stream.

_And it nearly killed us all…_

But he hadn't gone back yet - he wasn't even off the planet Earth - so to sense their imminent presence now was something of a shock to the Time Lord. Closing his eyes once more, he tried to ignore the pelting of the raindrops or the noise of the city. Instead, he concentrated on the feeling of the Web, of the creatures teeming within.

_We are hungry. Feed us, Lord._

The Doctor jumped to his feet, his mind whirling with possibilities and questions as the voices in his head grew louder. He slammed into the TARDIS' control room with all the force of a hurricane, calling up history banks and planetary data on every screen he could manage.

"I had never thought to check," he murmured as data passed by at an alarming rate. "Oh my…" _That_ was what he had missed, a vital piece of his own history that had slipped under the radar. And there, hidden among all the tabulations and fact, was the key.

"Oh yes! Clever! How have I not _seen_ this before?" He raked a hand through his wet hair, making it stick up at odd angles. "This is it! This is what I've been missing!" He punched in more controls, sending the TARDIS lurching into the vortex.

"I'm coming for you, Rose," he whispered into the night.

_Y'charra, Umbraxa, 10,007 years later…_

The Doctor landed in a deserted back alley almost three hours before the moment that changed his life. He patted the panels of the TARDIS lovingly, gazing around the control room. If everything went properly, this would be the last time he would see her, or anything else.

"Thank you, old girl." He could feel her shuddering against the instinct that told her this was wrong. She could feel the presence of their past selves here, and he quickly depressed a button to override her buffers. He stretched out his senses and closed his eyes, searching through the web of time for any anomalies caused by his presence. _None so far_, he thought as he opened his eyes.

He gazed around the TARDIS' control room once more and took a deep breath. "Everything's gonna be alright soon, I promise." He stepped out into the dreary evening air, taking stock in his surroundings. He was about three blocks away from his destination, and he set off at a brisk pace.

_Meanwhile…_

"Who would execute children?" Rose whispered horrifically as she witnessed the small lot being marched into central headquarters. The Doctor stared after them sadly and gripped Rose's hand tighter.

"There's a revolution going on," he explained softly. "We need to get out of here." She turned her pleading brown eyes on him and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Rose, but we can't. You know what happens when we interfere with established events."

"You can't just let them die!" she argued, drawing a fair number of eyes. The Doctor pulled her sharply to one side and bent down so he could maintain eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Rose, I really am. You know me, you of all people understand how much this _hurts_. But I literally cannot do anything. I'm sorry." She surged forward and buried her head in his chest, and his arms came around her easily.

"But they're just kids," she sniffed, and his heart broke. He hated to see such senseless devastation, the horrific truth that came with war, but most of all he hated to see Rose upset. He tugged her hand and tried to pull her away from the gathering crowd. Mothers wept openly as their children were led away, and the Doctor had to force his gaze away.

"No!" one woman cried out, struggling against the arms of a man holding her back. "Not my Venchant!" The Doctor stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Did she say Venchant?" he whispered to Rose, who just sniffed again and nodded. "Hmm," it was a noncommittal sort of grunt, but it caught Rose's attention. Her head came up and she looked in his eyes. She knew that look, and her heart leaped in her chest as a smile graced her lips.

"What does that mean?" He stared at her long and hard before sagging his shoulders in mock surrender.

"Alright, so we'll save the future leader of this great new world. But _that's it_." Rose gave a little squeal and hugged him tightly. He chuckled into her hair as she squeezed him happily. "Come on," he set her down and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a side alley.

"So who's this Venchant guy, anyway?"

"About ten years from now that little boy will be a young man and, having grown up in a world of oppression and fear, he will gather a small band of fighters and overtake the capitol. It's a surprise attack that no one suspects, and that one boy will become a planetary hero."

"So we have to bust him out, yeah?" The Doctor grimaced at her words but shrugged nonetheless.

"Ironically," he said with a teasing grin, "Venchant Ox'Loria was 'busted out' the night before his scheduled execution." Rose clapped her hands together as her smile split into a grin. "Okay, okay, but I want you to know we're not doing this because _you_ want to. And we can't be seen," he pointed a finger at her, and she nodded with mock seriousness. "I'm serious, Rose, we cannot be seen."

"Hey, what do you think this is, my first time? Let's go." She dragged him back out into the street, searching for the first step in their crazy plan.

Just over two hours later they were hunkered down outside the prison, several paces away from a small band of fathers who had the same idea. Rose had pouted when she realized they wouldn't be the ones to rescue the children, but the Doctor was thanking every deity he could name in his mind. Breaking into a prison full of guards wasn't exactly high on the list of things that keep them out of trouble, and as they watched the band of fathers sneaking into the sewer system he let out a sigh of relief.

"Doctor, look," she tapped his shoulder and gestured to the front gate. Four guards began to patrol the perimeter, and the last of the fathers wasn't fully under the gate yet. Just a few more paces and the entire operation would be for nothing. Without so much as a warning, Rose picked up a chunk of rock and stood, hurling it at the nearest guard. It connected with his helmet with a sickening thunk, and his companion turned.

"Halt!" he pointed at Rose, who was grinning madly in triumph as the sewer cover slipped closed.

"Rose!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing her hand and yanking her toward the street.

"Time to run," she yelled back gleefully, keeping pace with his longer strides easily.

"Stop in the name of High Lord Joffree!" a voice cried out behind them, and thunderous footfalls heralded the pursuit of a group of guards.

_Across town…_

The Doctor closed his eyes and used his senses to orient him once more. The moment was close, and he could feel every atom in his being vibrate with anticipation. He had found the TARDIS right where they'd parked it, and he retraced their path in order to provide him the best vantage point. He and Rose would run right by, and he huddled down in the darkened alley to wait.

He didn't have to wait long, and every muscle in his body tensed as he watched himself and Rose round the corner and press against the wall.

"This isn't remotely funny," he heard himself say, but Rose seemed to be having the time of her life. The Doctor frowned as he tried to recall the exact moment Rose had stopped being a companion, a tag-along, and had integrated herself so fully in his life. He was so lost in thought, he didn't even realize when his foot slipped and the stack of crates next to him crashed over.

"Just an animal," his other self reassured. They darted past him and around the corner, and the Doctor felt his hearts begin to race as the Umbraxa came around the corner.

"Wait!" he called after his past self, but his voice was rough from the turmoil of the day. A heady sense of déjà vu washed over him, and he froze instantly as realization washed over him. This was it – his moment to change history. He knew in his hearts this was the right course, the right path. Rose wasn't destined to die on this pathetic little planet, killed by a stray bullet meant for no one.

As the captain passed, the Doctor surged forward in a full body tackle. They impacted the wall and went down in a tumble of limbs and curses. The other guards, thinking they had apprehended one of their fugitives, trained their weapons on him.

"Where is your friend, the female?" the captain spat as he regained his feet. The Doctor merely smiled, sensing the final shift in the timeline as Rose and her Doctor made it into the TARDIS, like the last puzzle piece falling into place.

"She's safe," he whispered more to himself than in answer to the interrogation. "She's safe." He repeated a little louder, and the young recruit pressed the barrel of his gun into his chest.

"You will answer the captain!" he demanded, his face taught with agitation. The Doctor stared into the face of the man who'd killed his Rose, but his eyes held only relief.

"Calm yourself," the captain ordered, laying a hand on the young man's shoulder. With one last penetrating stare, the rookie backed off and took up position near the entrance of the alley. Suddenly, the most heavenly sound filled the alleyway, and the Doctor smiled serenely as he listened to the TARDIS disappear. _They made it_, he rejoiced silently.

A noise filled the air, like fabric being ripped in two, and the creatures were upon them. The Doctor closed his eyes, recalling the instructions laid out by his own people. Rolling to his feet, he stepped into the path of the first Reaper and held up his hand.

"Thia'Lyet!" his native language rolled off his tongue, and immediately the creature stilled.

_Lord of Time. We are hungry._

The thought penetrated his brain, but the Doctor focused on what he'd learned.

"Nish'ashara, jyat a'kune." He waved his arm from left to right in a banishing motion, and the creature hissed. "Jyat a'kune!" He repeated the motion sharply, and the creature shrank back.

"What's happening?" the captain questioned.

"I'm saving your life," the Doctor returned hotly, his eyes still locked on the creature before him.

"Who are you? And what is that thing?"

"My people called them _Yawe_, the guardians. They've just been…neglected." The Doctor watched as the creature faded back into the Web of Time, the rift sealing itself automatically. "They will not be a bother anymore, not now that I know how to control them."

"Sir!" the recruit called from the end of the alley, drawing everyone's attention. "He's activated some sort of transportation device!" The Doctor looked down at his hands, shocked to see himself fading from existence. He'd done it; he'd changed the course of history and averted inevitable disaster. But the knowledge he'd gained would pass with him, and he was alright with that. No one being had the right to that much power, or that much responsibility. Just as long as they were careful, the other Doctor and his companion would never know.

"All in a day's work," he huffed cheekily, looking up at the captain with a smug grin.

"Impossible," the captain whispered. "We are blocking all forms of transport in the immediate area."

"Luckily," the Doctor answered, "I excel at impossible." And with those words he faded out of time, and the nine Umbraxaal stared at each other in wonder.

"Find him! And figure out what those creatures were and if there are any more on the planet!" The captain barked sharply, and the eight soldiers started into action. They conducted a planet-wide search, but there was no sign of the mysterious visitor or the creatures. Finally, report of a breakout pulled them from their task, and any thoughts of the strange man and his companion were lost in time.

_London, England, Earth, 10,007 years prior…_

Jackie Tyler hummed off-key as she folded her laundry in the living room. Things were much quieter around the house while Rose was out gallivanting with the Doctor, and Jackie couldn't help but look up as if the heavens themselves could give her some clue to where she was. She worried about her young girl traveling through time and space with an alien, even if he did look human. But, she admitted reluctantly, if anyone would keep her Rose safe it would be him.

Lightning lit up the sky for a brief moment, then the house shook with the fury of the storm raging outside. The house lights flickered once, then died, and Jackie let out an exasperated moan as she fished candles from the kitchen.

"Just my luck," she grumbled. "Who knows who long it'll take them to get it back on." She left one in the kitchen just in case and took the other two out to the sitting room. She finished her clothes by candlelight, listening to the rush of rain hitting the pavement outside.

A sharp knock startled her, and she lifted a lit candle gingerly as she shuffled her way to the door. The hallway was dark so she couldn't see who it was, but something in the urgency of the knock had her fumbling with the lock. When she opened it, she wasn't prepared for the sight that met her eyes.

"Mum!" Rose embraced her mother in a smothering hug, and Jackie's face lit up with glee as her arms came around her daughter.

"Oh Rose, this is a surprise!" she pulled her daughter into the foyer, noting with some amusement that the Doctor stepped in somewhat cautiously. She caught his eye over Rose's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she mouthed, and he smiled knowingly. Rose pulled away and began rattling a mile a minute about some planet or another, but Jackie's attention was on the man in the foyer. He was watching Rose flit about with an expression that made Jackie smile. The Tyler matron walked over to the man who'd become so completely entranced by her daughter and looped her arm through his. Rose was still chatting away happily, so Jackie kept her voice low as the Doctor looked at her in surprise.

"Have you been watching out for her?" she asked firmly, injecting just a hint of a teasing tone into her voice. But the look the Doctor gave her was absolutely serious, and he nodded as his eyes darted back to the vibrant girl in the next room.

"Always."

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><p>Well, there you are. Slides easily into canon sometime just before "Fear Her." I fought long and hard for a way to do this without dealing with Reapers. And then I had an epiphany. So there's my take on Reapers for you. Also, that Gallifreyan is partly my own gibberish and partly pulled from an internet source. Just google Gallifreyan language if you're curious, you'll find it.<p>

I have some more 10Rose fics in the works, so let me know what you thought of this one and if you want to see more. Ta!


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